1. Purpose
These General Terms and Conditions of Sale (“GTC”) govern the provision of services by HSD Assist, a French sole trader business operated by Hélène STORMS, to private individuals, self-employed professionals and businesses.
HSD Assist provides administrative and support services, particularly to expatriates, airline crew members, pilots, cabin crew and individuals requiring assistance with French administrative procedures.
The services may include, but are not limited to:
- assistance with French income tax returns;
- administrative assistance with French public authorities and organisations;
- relocation and settlement assistance in France;
- preparation and follow-up of administrative documents;
- assistance with professional expense calculations (“frais réels”) for airline crew;
- administrative assistance relating to tax refund procedures;
- other administrative support services specifically agreed with the client.
2. Acceptance of the Terms
Any quotation issued by HSD Assist specifies the services to be provided and the applicable fees.
Acceptance of a quotation constitutes the client’s acceptance of these GTC.
Unless otherwise agreed in writing, the contract is formed when the client accepts the quotation.
The version of the GTC applicable to the service is the version in force on the date the quotation is accepted.
3. Nature and Scope of the Services
HSD Assist provides administrative assistance and support services.
HSD Assist is not a law firm, tax advisory firm, accounting firm or chartered accountant (“Expert-Comptable”).
HSD Assist does not provide legal, accounting, financial or regulated tax advice.
Where tax-related assistance is provided, it consists of administrative support, assistance with the preparation of information and documents, identification of potentially relevant publicly available rules or deductions, and assistance with administrative procedures.
The client remains solely responsible for the accuracy and completeness of the information and documents provided to HSD Assist.
4. Client Responsibilities
The client undertakes to provide HSD Assist with complete, accurate and truthful information and documentation.
The client is responsible for:
- checking the information provided to HSD Assist;
- providing all documents necessary for the requested service;
- informing HSD Assist of any relevant changes or additional information;
- reviewing documents prepared with the assistance of HSD Assist;
- verifying amounts, dates and personal information;
- and giving final approval before any declaration or document is submitted in their name.
Any delay, error or consequence resulting from incomplete, inaccurate, misleading or late information supplied by the client shall not be attributable to HSD Assist.
5. Tax Return and Tax-Related Assistance
Where HSD Assist assists with the preparation of a French income tax return or related administrative procedure, the work is based exclusively on information and supporting documents supplied by the client and, where applicable, publicly available information.
HSD Assist may assist with:
- organising the information required for the declaration;
- identifying potentially deductible professional expenses;
- assisting with the administrative completion of forms;
- performing calculations based on information supplied by the client;
- explaining publicly available administrative procedures;
- and assisting with communications or follow-up with the relevant authorities where authorised by the client.
HSD Assist does not guarantee any particular tax result, refund, tax reduction or acceptance of any deduction.
The French tax authorities remain solely competent to assess, verify and determine the client’s tax position.
The client remains legally responsible for any declaration submitted in their name.
6. Airline Crew Assistance
For pilots and cabin crew, HSD Assist may provide administrative assistance in relation to professional expenses (“frais réels”), including, where applicable:
- professional meal expenses;
- accommodation and overnight expenses;
- mileage expenses;
- professional insurance;
- union fees;
- and other potentially deductible professional expenses.
Calculations are based on information, schedules, employer or airline documentation, receipts and other documents supplied by the client, together with applicable publicly available information.
HSD Assist does not guarantee that any particular expense or deduction will be accepted by the French tax authorities.
7. Fees and Quotations
The fees applicable to the services are stated in the quotation provided to the client.
Unless otherwise stated in the quotation:
payment is due upon acceptance of the quotation and before the commencement of the services.
Any additional request falling outside the scope of the original quotation may be subject to an additional fee.
Where additional work is required, HSD Assist will inform the client of the applicable additional charge before carrying out such work whenever reasonably possible.
8. Tax Refund Success Fee
Certain tax-related services may be subject to a success fee, as expressly stated in the quotation accepted by the client.
From the 1st of September 2026, and where applicable, the success fee is calculated progressively as follows:
- 10 % on the portion of the refund up to €1,000;
- 12 % on the portion of the refund between €1,001 and €3,000;
- 15 % on the portion exceeding €3,000.
The success fee is payable only where the client actually receives the relevant tax refund.
The success fee is calculated on the refund amount effectively received by the client and applies according to the progressive pricing scale stated above.
The applicable success fee and its calculation method will be confirmed in the quotation accepted by the client.
9. Electronic Communications and Documents
The client expressly agrees that communications and documents may be exchanged electronically, including by:
- email;
- WhatsApp;
- electronic signature platforms;
- cloud-based document-sharing services;
- or other electronic communication methods agreed between the parties.
The client acknowledges the inherent risks associated with electronic communications, including risks relating to transmission, interception, loss or unauthorised access.
HSD Assist will take reasonable measures to protect documents and personal information entrusted to it.
10. Authorisation to Act on Behalf of the Client
Where necessary, HSD Assist may assist with the submission or transmission of administrative or tax-related documents on behalf of the client.
Such assistance may only be provided where the client has given the necessary authorisation, whether in writing, by email, electronically or through another appropriate means.
Any such authorisation does not transfer the client’s legal responsibility for the information or declaration concerned to HSD Assist.
11. Performance of Services and Delays
HSD Assist will perform the agreed services with reasonable care and diligence.
Any indicative timeframe communicated by HSD Assist is an estimate unless a specific deadline has expressly been agreed in writing.
HSD Assist shall not be responsible for delays caused by:
- the client;
- missing or incomplete documentation;
- third parties;
- public authorities;
- technical failures;
- or circumstances beyond HSD Assist’s reasonable control.
12. Travel Expenses
Where the client requests an in-person appointment or physical intervention requiring travel, additional travel expenses may apply.
Unless otherwise stated in the quotation, travel beyond a 20 km radius from HSD Assist’s place of business may be charged separately.
Any applicable travel expenses will be communicated to the client before the service is performed.
13. Right of Withdrawal – Consumers
Where the client is a consumer and the contract is concluded remotely or outside HSD Assist’s business premises, the client may have a statutory 14-day right of withdrawal, subject to the exceptions provided by applicable French consumer law.
Where the client expressly requests that the service begin before the expiry of the withdrawal period, the client acknowledges that they may be required to pay for services already performed up to the date on which the withdrawal is exercised, in accordance with applicable law.
Where the service has been fully performed before the end of the withdrawal period following the client’s express request and acknowledgement, the statutory right of withdrawal may no longer apply.
14. Cancellation
Where a client cancels a service after work has commenced, fees may remain payable for services already performed, subject to any mandatory statutory rights applicable to the client.
Any specific cancellation or refund conditions stated in the quotation accepted by the client shall also apply.
15. Confidentiality and Personal Data
HSD Assist treats information and documents supplied by clients as confidential and processes personal data in accordance with applicable data protection legislation, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Personal data is processed for the purposes of providing the requested services, managing the client relationship, communicating with the client and fulfilling legal and contractual obligations.
Further information is provided in HSD Assist’s Privacy Policy.
16. Intellectual Property
Unless otherwise agreed in writing, documents, templates, calculations, summaries, guides, written materials and other resources specifically created by HSD Assist remain the intellectual property of HSD Assist.
They may not be reproduced, distributed, resold or commercially exploited without the prior written consent of HSD Assist.
This does not affect documents or information belonging to the client or to third parties.
17. Limitation of Liability
HSD Assist undertakes to perform its services with reasonable care and diligence.
HSD Assist cannot guarantee:
- the acceptance of a tax deduction;
- the granting of a tax refund;
- a particular tax outcome;
- the decision of a public authority;
- or the processing time of any administration.
To the extent permitted by applicable law, HSD Assist’s liability for a service shall be limited to the amount actually paid by the client for the service giving rise to the claim.
Nothing in these GTC shall exclude or limit liability where such exclusion or limitation is prohibited by mandatory applicable law.
18. Complaints
Any complaint should first be submitted directly to HSD Assist in writing at:
contact@hsd-assist.fr
HSD Assist will make reasonable efforts to resolve any complaint amicably.
For consumer disputes, the consumer must first make a prior written complaint to HSD Assist before referring the matter to a consumer mediator.
19. Consumer Mediation
In accordance with applicable French consumer protection legislation, consumers may, after first submitting a written complaint to HSD Assist, refer an unresolved dispute to the consumer mediator designated by HSD Assist.
The details of HSD Assist’s designated consumer mediator will be provided to consumers in accordance with applicable legislation.
20. Applicable Law and Jurisdiction
These GTC are governed by French law.
For consumers, nothing in these GTC shall deprive them of any mandatory rights or protections granted to them under applicable consumer protection legislation.
For professional clients, any dispute shall be subject to the jurisdiction of the competent French courts, subject to mandatory legal provisions.